Jamu Making Classes in Bali, Indonesia

Jamu Making Classes in Bali, Indonesia is one of the most interesting activity that I have seen a hotel or resort offer in a long time. Back then, many hotels were offering local cooking classes but here at Hotel Tugu in Bali, a traditional herb mixing class was on their main menu. During my stay here in June 2011, I was introduced to this class and hearing about it got me all excited as I have heard about Jamu before only not knowing how it was done. What is Jamu? It is actually a form of Indonesian traditional herbal medicine which is made from natural ingredients and materials found locally. The origins date back to nearly 1300 years back in the Hindu Mataram Kingdom.

Nowadays, Jamu is widely used by many local Indonesian women and men alike as it used mainly for all kinds of common ailments, ranging from infertility to increasing libido. People in the island of Bali and Java depend on these drinks for their health, energy, strength, body-mind balance, and internal and external radiance which is not catching up in the western world.

Jamu classes hut in Bali

My experience started at a beautiful open hut in the hotel garden where ingredients were laid out carefully on a wooden table. There was a antique cabinet that stored ready made products while jars containing natural herbs, roots and powders were on a wooden shelf. The head jamu teacher named Mak Nengah arrived and greeted me in Indonesian asking me to have a seat. I was told that she is one of the few local experts in making jamu in Bali and also teaches this trade to willing students.

An antique wooden cabinet displaying jamu items

iVarious ingredients

As Mak Nengah took her seat, she invited me to sit in front of her and also take a bowl but I politely refused as I wanted to capture her on video and photographs. I then sat on the wooden bench observing how she started with cutting some garlic and then pounding it. Next she mixed them into a bowl of water mixing it together. A piece of garlic is then grated and mixed together. More herbs and ingredients are added and then they are pounded.

Jamu herbs at Tugu Hotel Bali

Jame classes in Bali, Indonesia

Next, an assortment of dry herbs are added into the mixture with more pounding. Finally, some mineral water is added to the mixture giving it a good stir. After that, a sifting process is done with natural banana leaves into a glass where the sediments are caught in the process. It is left for a few seconds to completely drip. A piece of lime is then cut and squeezed into the glass followed by a liquid and solid herb and then mixed again.

Jamu Making Classes Video in Hotel Tugu Bali

Some of the oils at the stall

Indonesian jamu for men

After the five minute process, the mixture is completed and then served to me. Asking out of curiosity what kind of jamu it was, she replied that it was a jamu for men which helped in blood circulation and relaxation. I downed it with no hesitation as I was lack of the both. This was indeed a unique experience for me in Bali and apparently I was told that this is one of the two places in Bali that offer these classes and demonstrations. Read my other article about the Hotel Tugu in Bali.

For those of you interested in attending special classes like this, you are free to contact Hotel Tugu as they should be able to arrange for this. If you have done the cooking classes, then it is now time to explore the world of Jamu Making Classes in Bali, Indonesia.

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